# Humi & "Restoration" - Save My Stogies!



## Southfield (Jan 21, 2007)

(Sorry for this long post, but please read as there are some good sticks in danger!)

Okay so here's the situation...

About 2 months ago I bought a very nice Savoy Humidor...










...and love it to death. Now, there's a few questions I have and a small problem...

*Question 1:* When filling the humidifier I soak it in distilled water until there are no more bubbles correct? Then take it out shake it off and let it drip dry before putting it in my humidor. Right so far? (As a sidenote.. I submerged the humidifier underwater about 2-3 hours ago. Is this any problem at all?)

*Question 2:* From what I understand the best settings to have are 70/70 right? However, there's a special circumstance... which leads me to my problem...

**Problem*:* For the past 4-5 months I've had my cigars (about 20-30 of them) in two small wood humidor boxes, the kind cigars come in fresh at the shop. My cigar shop sells them for $2 a piece, so I had to pick them up and along with them I got two "water pillows". I soaked the water pillows and put them each in the boxes. So, for the past 4-5 months my cigars have sat in these boxes seemingly perfect. Well, I didn't smoke or even look at them for about a month and come to find out the water pillows have run dry and now my cigars feel somewhat brittle. I can squeeze them without them cracking, but I *definitely* hear a crunchy, cracky sound like if I squeezed any harder they start to flake.

They're crisp but I HOPE not beyond repair! So... brothers, help me! What do you suggest I do from here?? I still have the humidifier that came with the Savoy Humidor soaking in the distilled water, so what now? Take it out, dry it and let it sit in the humidor until the aggrometer reads 70? See, I was thinking that because my cigars are crisp I'd want a little higher than 70 to compensate for the lack of care and water they've had recently. Any ideas at all here boys?


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## 68TriShield (May 15, 2006)

Re-moisten everything then get a digital hygrometer.Go from there...


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## Southfield (Jan 21, 2007)

68TriShield said:


> Re-moisten everything then get a digital hygrometer.Go from there...


I've got a Hygrometer, just not a thermometer. What do you recommend I shoot for are far as humidity goes?

And when you say "Re-moisten everything..." what exactly is everything? Throw an extra humidifier in there? I plan on putting the pillow and another humidifier I've got in there until it gets up to at least 72-73. From there though... any suggestions? Is saving my cigars a lost cause at this point?


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## DETROITPHA357 (Jul 8, 2006)

68TriShield said:


> Re-moisten everything then get a digital hygrometer.Go from there...


I agree... ReDo RDo.


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## palm55 (Jan 5, 2006)

I would agree... Re-do the process.

But I (humbly) would add that you may want to consider 1/4 pound of beads from either Heartfelt or Cigarmony. These things will equalize your box humidity regardless of ambient RH. And this is especially important if you're ambient is undergoing a seasonal change.


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## jkim05 (Feb 26, 2007)

I don't think you should have to worry about trying to get the humidity up beyond 70 because as the cigars absorb the humidity they will be trying to get up to that level anyways. The problem you had was that those cigar boxes are not airtight, so they were not maintaining humidity. I think the best thing you could do is to slowly bring up the humidity in the cigars so you won't damage them. Put them in the humidor with the water pillows and let the humidity slowly come up. Once the humidity in the humidor stabilizes add the other humidifier. The other thing I would advise is to make sure you really shake off the humidifier well, you don't want water dripping on your cigars. Other than that I think you should be fine, although I would advise salt testing your hygrometer once you stabilize your cigars. I think the most important thing would be to get them to a reasonable humidity level.


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## Southfield (Jan 21, 2007)

palm55 said:


> I would agree... Re-do the process.
> 
> But I (humbly) would add that you may want to consider 1/4 pound of beads from either Heartfelt or Cigarmony. These things will equalize your box humidity regardless of ambient RH. And this is especially important if you're ambient is undergoing a seasonal change.


Just how important are these though? Should I leave my brittling-by-the-day stogies still to sit in the wooden boxes with the newly refilled water pillows ... or ... at least attempt to bring the hygrometer up to around 70 then transfer them into the big Savoy humidor?


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## Southfield (Jan 21, 2007)

jkim05 said:


> I don't think you should have to worry about trying to get the humidity up beyond 70 because as the cigars absorb the humidity they will be trying to get up to that level anyways. The problem you had was that those cigar boxes are not airtight, so they were not maintaining humidity. I think the best thing you could do is to slowly bring up the humidity in the cigars so you won't damage them. Put them in the humidor with the water pillows and let the humidity slowly come up. Once the humidity in the humidor stabilizes add the other humidifier. The other thing I would advise is to make sure you really shake off the humidifier well, you don't want water dripping on your cigars. Other than that I think you should be fine, although I would advise salt testing your hygrometer once you stabilize your cigars. I think the most important thing would be to get them to a reasonable humidity level.


Alright, thank you VERY much for the information. I can already see, however, that I have much to learn about a humidor. I don't even know what salt testing is :hn Is there some type of "Newbie's Guide to a Humidor" that I can read up on?


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Just use the humidor as it is supposed to be used and check up on at least once a week. It will all equal out and humidors work better when they are full. 

As for your brittle cigars; it could be too late for them, but only your palette can tell. Just keep on top of the humidor and cigars and you're all set.

I have never used the beads, but many say they are fantastic. I have used a diamond crown element and it was flawless.

Good luck, and do not rush the seasoning process. Time and vigilance will prevail in your case.


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## jkim05 (Feb 26, 2007)

here's a link to a site that has info on humidors and salt calibration of hygrometers. http://www.stogieguys.com/2006/07/stogie-tip-salt-calibration-test.html
pm me if you have any more questions, not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have been told I have an uncanny ability to organize and disseminate information, so I'd be plenty willing to share all of the knowledge about cigars and humidors I've acquired recently.


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## john51277 (Feb 27, 2007)

You submerged the whole humi under water for hours?????


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## Southfield (Jan 21, 2007)

john51277 said:


> You submerged the whole humi under water for hours?????


....maybe I had a typo somewhere?? I may have a low post count but I'm not quite as profoundly retarded as you might have assumed


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## jkim05 (Feb 26, 2007)

well, maybe if it was completely waterproof...nope still doesn't make that right.
lol.


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## dstaccone (Oct 19, 2006)

I just wanted to add to the debate that you shouldn't make your humi higher than 70 %. If I were you I would rehumidify the crackling sticks slowly so they don't swell and crack. Just my :2 Good luck


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## Boston_Dude05 (Oct 10, 2006)

Clarifying questions. How come the cigars weren't in the Savoy but in the cigar boxes for the last several months? Why are you soaking the humidifier in distilled water now? Presumably if you bought it 2 mos ago you'd already be using it? Am I missing something?


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## Mr. White (Dec 4, 2004)

Southfield said:


> I've got a Hygrometer, just not a thermometer. What do you recommend I shoot for are far as humidity goes?
> 
> And when you say "Re-moisten everything..." what exactly is everything? Throw an extra humidifier in there? I plan on putting the pillow and another humidifier I've got in there until it gets up to at least 72-73. From there though... any suggestions? Is saving my cigars a lost cause at this point?


Actually adding too much humidity back to the sticks too quickly will cause them to swell and split. You need to do it slower, but before we get into that I need to ask if you put a sponge on a small plate in the humidor for a day or two first to treat the wood? If you haven't done that then you're going to spend the next 2 months checking the humidifier every few days because the wood will be soaking it all up.

When first setting up a humidor there are several ways to go about it. None of them are exactly WRONG per-se, but some are frowned on for aesthetics reasons. The best way I have found is with distilled water and a brand new kitchen sponge. Soak the sponge and place it on a small dish inside the humidor, re-wet the sponge every day or two until the humidity in the humidor comes up to 75-80 or so. (this can take a day, or 3-4 days depending)

A quicker way is to wet the sponge with distilled water and wipe the inside of the humidor. However this can stain the wood and is frowned upon. (though I did it with my first humidor, suffered no stains, and sped up the process, I don't recommend it). Then rewet the sponge, place it on a dish inside the humidor for a day and things should be good to go.

Either way works, like I said. When I first set up my humidor it took me 2 months for it to stabilize. One week humidity would be up, the next it would be low. It eventually stabilized and leveled out and I haven't had an issue in almost 3 years now. Anything between 65% and 72% humidity is acceptable though I find the best humidity for my smokes is around 67-68%. You'll also want to dump that humidifier and go with the 65% beads whenever you can They're much better at regulating humidity than the standard green-foam-filled hockey pucks.

IF you are worried about how dry your sticks are then your best bet is to probably half-fill those water pillows again and keep the stogies in the small boxes for a few days while you finish treating your humidor and getting it ready for your cigars.

Note: I humbly disagree with keeping the humidor completely full. I think 3/4 full is about right depending on the humidor. When the humidor is jam packed with stogies it cuts down on available circulation and you can have issues with mold. The beads are also very important if you want a relatively maintenance free humidor. I only check mine once a month now, as opposed to having to check the old style humidifiers once a week. --- http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-42.html <-- Salt Test Info.


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## Boston_Dude05 (Oct 10, 2006)

Jokieman said:


> Actually adding too much humidity back to the sticks too quickly will cause them to swell and split. You need to do it slower, but before we get into that I need to ask if you put a sponge on a small plate in the humidor for a day or two first to treat the wood? If you haven't done that then you're going to spend the next 2 months checking the humidifier every few days because the wood will be soaking it all up.
> 
> When I first set up my humidor it took me 2 months for it to stabilize.
> 
> ...


Well, if you charge the humidifier with PG then from my experience it keeps steady at 70% RH. PG won't absorb humidity though so you must be careful when you add cigars or if your ambient RH% is higher than 70%, otherwise PG can work just fine also. Also the RH% you want to keep will depend on the type of smoke you have. For most, 70% is fine. But for cigars like Pepins they need to be kept at lower RH%, say 60-65%.


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## 68TriShield (May 15, 2006)

The less you handle the cigars,the more likely it is they will be ok after a long recoup.Its worth a shot on the better ones anyway...


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## Southfield (Jan 21, 2007)

Jokieman said:


> Actually adding too much humidity back to the sticks too quickly will cause them to swell and split. You need to do it slower, but before we get into that I need to ask if you put a sponge on a small plate in the humidor for a day or two first to treat the wood? If you haven't done that then you're going to spend the next 2 months checking the humidifier every few days because the wood will be soaking it all up.
> 
> When first setting up a humidor there are several ways to go about it. None of them are exactly WRONG per-se, but some are frowned on for aesthetics reasons. The best way I have found is with distilled water and a brand new kitchen sponge. Soak the sponge and place it on a small dish inside the humidor, re-wet the sponge every day or two until the humidity in the humidor comes up to 75-80 or so. (this can take a day, or 3-4 days depending)
> 
> ...


INSANE amount of advice!! Ring gauge size added brother, thank you!

I'm in the process of stabilizing my Savoy right now and I've got a water pillow in one box and the "hockey puck" in the other. Tomorrow I'll swing by the cigar shop and see if they've got any beads. From what I'm gathering by these posts is that the beads are ESSENTIAL for any good humidor today. I'll get those either tomorrow or purchase some online. While I'm on the topic, any good sites you recommend to purchase these beads from? Someone said something about "Crown Royal"?

So - right now get a fresh sponge, cut it in half and place it in my Savoy? I'll get some pictures for you guys hang on.....


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## Southfield (Jan 21, 2007)

The pictures as promised...





































...after seeing these, and further suggestions?


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## jkim05 (Feb 26, 2007)

yeah, the assumed that the humidor had not yet been seasoned so in my mind, if you add the humidifier to the humidor while simultaneously adding the dry cigars, the humidity in the humidor should gradually rise as the wood absorbs some of the humidity. Though normally I would always suggest seasoning the humidor before adding any sticks, this is because the humidor will not maintain a high enough humidity level for the cigars. In this case, it is beneficial to slowly raise the humidity of the cigars, so simultaneously seasoning the humidor and re-humidifying your cigars should produce the best results. Also, it will allow you to re-humidify your cigars as soon as possible. You can always calibrate your hygrometer at some point after you revive your sticks.


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## Mr. White (Dec 4, 2004)

http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/

I don't frequent the forums a lot anymore but that guy used to come highly recommended and that is where I bought my beads from. I'm not sure if he still is, but he used to be a Club Stogie member as well.

The beads aren't absolutely necessary but they will cut down on maintenance quite a bit. A lot will still depend on your location too. I'm in Florida so I could probably go without checking my humidors for 3 months or so and still be fine. In a drier climate I could never do that.


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## TastyCaramel (Jan 7, 2007)

Southfield said:


> *Question 1:* When filling the humidifier I soak it in distilled water until there are no more bubbles correct? Then take it out shake it off and let it drip dry before putting it in my humidor. Right so far? (As a sidenote.. I submerged the humidifier underwater about 2-3 hours ago. Is this any problem at all?)


I read this part 30 times before I realized my mind decided to read "humidor" instead of "humidifier." I couldn't imagine how someone could submerge a nice wooden humidor, and now that picture is stuck in my mind. :r

Looks like some good sticks but in the picture with the humidifier laying on top the cigars looks quite wrinkly (over humidified). Maybe it's just me. Do those feel especially spongy or wet to you?

Also, I see some flavored cigars (CAO) in there with the normal guys. Though it's ultimately your choice, I've noticed most gorillas here prefer to keep flavored sticks separate from the others so as not to make all the other cigars taste like perfume. You might want to at least throw those into a ziploc or maybe keep them in one of the older cigar boxes with a water pillow as a dedicated "flavored humidor."


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## wharfrathoss (Dec 27, 2006)

just my 2 cents, but here goes-i have a humi that appears to be the same one-word of warning, the hygrometer is notoriously innaccurate, even after being calibrated a few times mine wouldn't read right-try either of these

http://www.cigarmony.com/store/index.php
or
https://www.heartfeltindustries.com/default.asp

for an adjustable digiral hygrometer & the beads-my suggestion is the 65% beads, it's just a preference thing-if that's the 100ct savoy, 3oz beads will do nicely, there's info on the accesories board under "stickies" for how to retrofit elements to beads
as far as the cigars go, it seems that putting them in the humi while it's being seasoned would rehydrate them slowly, which is what you want to do-do it too quickly & the wrappers will crack-even if the boxes you're using aren't airtight, the humi elements you have in there are too large-the sticks will get too damp too quick & split
if you order a 1/2 lb beads, you'll have more than enough for your humi & boxes-heck, go w/a lb, you'll be getting a cooler sooner than you think!
i still consider myself a newb too-keep asking ?'s, the guys here are great & have a lot of info to spread around-aquaint yourself w/the search function at the top of the page, the FOG's here get a little riled when someone asks a ? that was asked 5 yrs ago (j/k guys!)
sorry for the novel-hope some of it helps


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## jbo (Feb 16, 2007)

Sorry, got on this kind of late. As far as your RH goes...if you don't have the beads, you can get the solution that's 50/50 distilled water and glycerin (glycol)? (Sorry guys, I'm new to all this.) However, the solution works well for me and keeps my humi at 68-70% RH all the time.


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## jkim05 (Feb 26, 2007)

not glycerin (glycerol), propylene glycol. I'm not sure about the evaporative properties of glycerin, but I haven't heard of it being used in conjuction with distilled water for humidification purposes.


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## jbo (Feb 16, 2007)

jkim05 said:


> not glycerin (glycerol), propylene glycol. I'm not sure about the evaporative properties of glycerin, but I haven't heard of it being used in conjuction with distilled water for humidification purposes.


There ya go. Thanks for the clarification! I couldn't remember...I guess it's Oldtimer's disease catching up with me. Whatever it's called, it has worked for me and keeps my humi at 70%. Thanks again.


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## Boston_Dude05 (Oct 10, 2006)

I second the suggestion on the adjustable hygro.


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